As part of my daily Bible reading plan I am currently reading through the gospel of Mark, the shortest of the gospel narratives. Mark’s phraseology is simple and always very brief. He doesn’t seem all that fussed with a lot of extra details as are Matthew and Luke, for example. For them, adding in more details is important in presenting their unique picture of Jesus and His ministry. They provide us with different and unique perspectives and theological insights. Mark keeps it really simple and succinct. Last night I was reading Mark chapters 5 and 6 and I was struck by the author’s particular focus on Jesus’ healing and deliverance ministry. And what it meant.
Whatever ideas the people of Israel may have had about the Messiah and his holiness are blown away by the manner in which Jesus responded to those people and situations which would be considered unclean. The law of Moses and the religious leaders of the day considered any involvement in anything unclean would make oneself unclean also. This was deeply embedded in people’s thinking. Yet this does not seem to concern Jesus at all. For example, in Mark chapter 5 Jesus and the disciples sail across Lake Galilee to the region of the Garasenes, which was Gentile territory through and through – and it was also full of “unclean” pigs. They step ashore only to be immediately confronted by a man who had spent years living right there amongst the tombs – a thoroughly “unclean” place - and who was seriously demonised. Mark says that the man had an “unclean” spirit, and we find out in the following verses that this unclean spirit was the boss of many other evil spirits that were in the man and destroying his life. No one could handle this tormented man or restrain him in any effective way.
The whole scene portrayed by Mark was one of uncleanness. Under the law proximity to death and places of death defiled a person. Proximity to pigs defiled a person. Yet Jesus willingly steps right into all this uncleanness to demonstrate the compassionate heart of God for those who are unclean, sick and afflicted. This is a major point for Mark. Jesus does not avoid the unclean or the broken. No, He steps right in and heals and restores. With a word of command the unclean spirits are cast out of the man and he is restored to his right mind, and his dignity as a human being is also restored. Restored, rejoicing … the man is now able to reimagine a whole new way of living, and he wants to go with Jesus.
The next scene in Mark chapter 5 is where a synagogue leader, Jairus, comes and begs Jesus to come and heal his dying daughter. Jesus agrees and they set off for Jairus’ house. On the way a woman who has been sick and bleeding for 12 years, and therefore unclean to everybody in her village, pushes through the huge crowd that was following Jesus to touch the hem of his garment. She is desperate. She is unclean. She had thought to herself, “If only I can touch the garment of this healer, I will be free.” And in her desperation she pushes through, and then at the last, she’s on her hands and knees crawling amongst the feet of many others to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. As she does so she immediately feels divine healing power surging through her body and in that very instant she knows to the core of her being that she is healed. Jesus stops. He had suddenly realised that divine power had been released from Him, and He wants to know who touched Him. It is a pretty intense moment. The disciples are bewildered because He is surrounded by the jostling crowd and any number of people could have “touched” Him. But Jesus had stopped. He knew someone had touched Him in faith, and He wants to know who that was. No one moves. The woman is afraid to admit that she, an unclean person, had touched the holy rabbi. Eventually, she does comes forward in fear and trembling - in front of everybody. They could all now see her. They all knew that she was the “unclean” woman of their village whom no one wanted to touch. But Jesus is not exposing her here, oh no, He is demonstrating the compassionate heart of God in front of them all. And then He says some of the most beautiful words in the New Testament …
Mark 5:34 (NIV)
“Daughter, your faith has healed you.
Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
“Daughter” – she is reinstated and is no longer unclean. Jesus then continues on to Jairus’ house. But He is now too late, the little girl has died and everyone is wailing in anguish and grief. Jesus chides the crowd and goes in to where the girl lay – a dead body, another unclean, dirty place. Right there and then Jesus takes her by the hand – He touches the dead body which is contrary to Mosaic law – and speaks to her.
Mark 5:41-42 (NIV)
He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.”
So, Mark chapter 5 which portrays Jesus, the Messiah, who is not afraid to get dirty in order to demonstrate the love of God the Father, and to heal the sick and demonically afflicted, is there for an important reason. It’s a statement about Jesus, about the heart of God, which is later echoed in the first verses of John’s gospel, which record that the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us in an unclean world.
John 1:14 (NIV)
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
And right towards the end of Jesus’ ministry He has gathered with His disciples in the upper room for that last supper. Once again, Jesus got dirty.
John 13:3-9 (NIV)
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" 7 Jesus replied, "You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will understand." 8 "No," said Peter, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me." 9 "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
The Holy One got dirty, for us. On the cross all our sin and dirtiness was transferred onto Him. By His death we are made clean in the eyes of the Father. He fulfilled the law on our behalf which categorised us as “unclean”. We now wear His righteousness as a garment which far exceeds the righteousness of the law.
Jesus got dirty, so that we could be clean.
Ps Milton